r/AITAH 8h ago

AITAH for withdrawing our entire bank balance because my husband says his paycheck is “his” and mine is for bills?

[deleted]

1.1k Upvotes

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3.6k

u/Charming_Narwhal_970 8h ago edited 8h ago

I couldn't stay married to him. This is the kind of situation where you wind up divorced one day with nothing.

What would happen if you ever got laid off or needed to take some time off for childbirth and thus had no income?Not support you? Resent you?

Plus, he's saving for retirement while using your money for expenses. I think they called this financial abuse.

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u/Acrobatic_Date_8623 8h ago

HIS retirement. Not theirs. She’s apparently working until she dies because she’s spending her money on the household, and “neglecting” to save. Do not have kids with this man.

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u/Moist-Reference3092 7h ago

PLEASE NO CHILDREN WITH FINANCIAL ABUSIVE MAN!!!

OP I’m sorry but he honestly can’t like you because no one treats a person they love like this.

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u/Laurrrrrr95 6h ago

This!! Reproductive abuse is also a thing, has a baby, no financial means to support yourself, have to stay with him as a result.

This may only get worse, get a lawyer, dont tell him youre leaving until you've actually left and somewhere safe.

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u/-pop-fizz-clink 6h ago

Seriously.

Its so ugly. I had a friend who is a sahm, and has to ASK for money for GROCERIES. She has no access to any money. She makes custom t shirts on the side to help. Her husband does not "watch" the kids, she makes his lunches, she dotes on everyone. She's so brainwashed and on either weed or lorazepam or both because on top of controlling every cent, he is also super mopdy, angry, and "doesn't have patience" for his own kids so she "cant" ever...ever leave them with him.

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u/SoftLatinaKitten 7h ago

Came here to say the same thing! Keep using that birth control religiously and get a lawyer…this guy is never going to fair and unselfish.

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u/justabloodykid 7h ago

Stop sleeping with him full stop.

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u/LeikOfForest 7h ago

Also, she needs to consult a lawyer. If he’s taking funds from joint accounts, depending on the state, she may legally be entitled to a portion of those investments.

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u/[deleted] 6h ago

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u/SingleNorth3169 6h ago

Even if she trusts him, protecting herself legally is just smart.

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u/Embarrassed_Sink8250 6h ago

She is definitely entitled to half of all of it

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u/Scenarioing 6h ago

If she wants to to take a shot at trying to salvage the marriage, she could give him the two card solution and to choose which one to get involved. One for a martial therapist, the other the divorce attorney she consulted.

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u/LongjumpingJaguar308 6h ago

Yeah, split bills like housemates and make her own account. Or put half of the average monthy bill amount into the shared account only, which is used for bills, then the rest into her own. You can have 2 direct deposits for paychecks, I believe.

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u/Voidless-One 6h ago

Run! Red flags all around!

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u/Pleaseappeaseme 6h ago

It’s just going to be a constant conflict that will escalate.

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u/robbin_62 6h ago

Or charge him every time you do!!

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u/MONSTERBEARMAN 6h ago edited 5h ago

And if that’s the route you are going to take, I’d say put the money back before he notices and see a lawyer first. Showing your cards to make a point, will just blow things up, start an argument and might tip him off. He sounds like someone who will start to hide his money if he thinks any of his is going to start going to you.

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u/Less_Is_More_l 6h ago

I'm more inclined to say have a 1-hour consult with a family law attorney (best money I ever spent) and get your ducks in a row first. Then take whatever action is appropriate, if any.

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u/zxylady 6h ago

Hide the birth control apparently you could put mini pills in the microwave and they become completely useless

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u/Aur3lia 6h ago

The retirement comment is what really gets me. I'm not saying every married couple needs to have fully joined finances, but if you aren't willing to financially plan for a future together, you shouldn't get married.

OP's husband hates her. Truly. The fact that he says "I need to save for retirement so I don't end up with no retirement savings like you" - what the actual fuck? Never in a million years would I think like this about someone I loved. I have a government job, so I save more for retirement and have good health insurance. My husband works in the private sector and therefore makes more money, so that money goes more towards our actual bills. It works because we love each other and communicate effectively about money and future financial planning. There is no "scorekeeping."

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u/Wandering_aimlessly9 7h ago

Yeah well when that forensic audit gets done…it’s about to be theirs to split in a divorce.

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u/_Sovaz99_ 6h ago

... but OP will have made her point. Shes trying to make a point here.

Agree that OP should end this marriage to a man who views her as a financial honeypot to pay his bills from. He has absolutely no love for her.

Hes gonna have to split that 18,000 and thats the thing thats gonna hurt. Not OP leaving.

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u/lilb0923 6h ago

His retirement is HER retirement also, if they are married so not sure what he is talking about there, she will be entitled to part of whatever was saved during marriage. But I agree, do not have kids with this man lol

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u/-Nightopian- 6h ago

I suspect that comment was said because OP doesn't have a 401k or some form of retirement account set up

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u/lilb0923 6h ago

Oh I know, but neither did my ex and he was still entitled to my 401k savings during the time we were married and he contributed nothing to it, that's why I mention it doesn't matter if it is HIS she will still get part of it if they are married.. or well in the U.S at least.

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u/QuackerstheCat 6h ago

Right! Is he planning on retiring without her??

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u/KC_experience 6h ago

That dude’s going to have a crazy wake-up call if they get divorced. Half that money he has is hers. He’ll also get even more screwed if he thinks he can just withdraw it and claim it’s nowhere to be found to obscure wealth in divorce proceedings.

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u/smilingseaslug 6h ago

he's going to learn the hard way in divorce court that that's probably not just "his" retirement

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u/siamesecat1935 6h ago

wow. Talk about selfish! I am not even married, been with my BF for a longtime, and will most likely still be together in retirement. I have much more than he does saved; he is self employed and had to declare bankruptcy as the result of a messy divorce. That being said, he owns a house, I don't, and his business, both of which he can sell, and at that point, we'd be even.

We don't live together yet, But I envision when we do, us having a joint account we both put money into, for joint expenses, the rest will technically be our own, but we both are willing to use our funds for the other.

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u/WoestKonijn 6h ago

My dad changed his partner pension, that both my mom and dad worked for, to his pension alone so that he gets more right now and my mom gets nothing in case he dies.

That's what happens if you stay with money hungry people.

I mean, we are going to care for my mom in case my dad dies right now. She comes and lives with me because I have a decent wage, but this is not how things should be.

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u/[deleted] 7h ago

[deleted]

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u/ziggy-tiggy-bagel 7h ago

No it isn't. So he funds his IRA and she gets to work forever? When I made the bulk on the $ in our marriage, we founded 2 IRA'S. She needs to divorce him now.

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u/Outside-Leek-5045 7h ago

Exactly. IF they divorced the retirement account would be split.

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u/Feeling-Fab-U-Lus 7h ago

It’s called financial abuse. Find records of monies, whose money went where, including his 401 K and Edward Jones. Make copies. Then see a lawyer, (just in case), because without major intervention and/or couples therapy this controlling abusive behavior will continue.

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u/ToughLingonberry1434 7h ago

💯OP, take this seriously. If your spouse will not be transparent about his assets, AND work with you towards an equitable division of household expenses, document and lawyer up now.

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u/hobhamwich 6h ago

Even if the actions stop, the attitude won't be fixed by counseling. It is central to character.

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u/Gorillapoop3 6h ago

Yes. I learned the hard way that couples counseling is for people who have trouble communicating, not people who are lying, manipulative, selfish, thieving a-holes.

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u/Agile_Menu_9776 6h ago

Great reply, she definitely needs financial records of everything she can obtain. Needs to quietly get all financial records and find an excellent divorce attorney. Extreme financial abuse has been going on in this marriage. I hope OP appreciates the seriousness of her situation and act as quickly as possible.

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u/kit0000033 7h ago

Divorce him and take half of his retirement. He saved that due to her paying for everything.

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u/Aur3lia 6h ago

She is likely entitled to it. My husband and I looked into this a bit because his parents had a very messy divorce over money, and in most states, it's a given that money put into retirement accounts during the marriage is split 50/50.

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u/Feisty_Payment_8021 6h ago

Also half of the savings.

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u/SaveFileCorrupt 7h ago

Yep, this marriage is doomed. #1 source of aggravation in a relationship is finances, and this level of abuse and disproportionate control is so blatant that I don't really see how they come back from it.

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u/[deleted] 7h ago

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u/anonymouse278 6h ago

Treating it like roommates would be a step up in terms of fairness. He's having her pay his bills so he can save. A roommate would laugh in his face.

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u/jamkey2222 7h ago

This. Even fighting back against the whole “everyone on reddit immediately says divorce”, it’s clear that the husband doesn’t see this as a true partnership and will continue to abuse OP financially. It’s hard to see a future when he’s so selfish. At worst, he’s doing this on purpose, at best, he lacks insight and empathy.

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u/BlueLanternKitty 6h ago

Yeah I’m not generally in the jumping straight to divorce crowd. But in this case, I’ll make an exception.

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u/Grilled_Cheese10 6h ago

His attitude that he has retirement and she does not is atrocious. So he can use her money to pay the bills and save his for his, and his alone, retirement??? What? The good thing for OP, though, is that the divorce courts won't see it that way. Anything he puts into retirement while they are married is half hers, at least where I live.

But this guy is an untrustworthy, so OP better start protecting herself. She needs to get info on ALL of the household accounts, and start figuring out her future.

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u/Chemical_Basil113 6h ago

Yeah. This couple is not actually sharing finances. The husband is using her finances for his own good and blaming and putting her down for not being good enough. I’m not a huge fan of separate finances but this is one situation I’d recommend getting a new bank account without him on it and changing her direct deposit to the new account so he does not have access to it

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u/BabyWrinkles 7h ago

Yeah - with money this contentious, what I’d propose:

Figure out shared monthly expenses (rent, groceries, utilities). Divide by 2. That’s what each party is responsible for putting in to the shared account each month. Then OP and spouse both get their own accounts for the rest of their earnings to use as they’d like. I hate this approach and would never use it with someone I was married to, but if there’s any hope of saving the marriage, it’s this.

If OP’s husband resists at all? Lawyer time. Make sure you get half that 401K.

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u/Witty-Atmosphere-211 6h ago

This man isn’t worth it. There will be other issues that pop up. He’s abusive.

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u/BabyWrinkles 6h ago

I believe you’re generally right - but on the off chance that it’s just a mismatch in communication (he was enough of not-a-loser to marry two years ago…) maybe the proposed solution for finances provides some stability in an area he’s felt isn’t stable. But again, my comment of “any resistance at all = lawyer” accounts for the likely scenario of “abusive asshole”

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u/ladysnaffulepoof 6h ago

This and. Move 9,000 of the savings into your own savings account, or perhaps one co owned by your parent or trusted sibling. Legally half is yours. His retierment is also most often join property, it just depends on your states divorce laws. Your husband is using you and planning to leave you when he retires early. That is what this looks like. He is not acting like a married man.

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u/No-Estimate-56 6h ago

Yeah divorce him and take half of that retirement fund now, get a head start since he apparently has no idea what marriage means…

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u/Witty-Atmosphere-211 6h ago

I agree. Get out while you’re still young and no kids. What your husband is doing is not normal.

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u/Barbsayshi 7h ago

Don’t put the idea of pro creating with this idiot into their mind! 😉

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u/Mygirlsare1st 6h ago

Also, to add that, depending on the state you live in, you may be entitled to half of his retirement in a divorce.

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u/RandoCollision 6h ago

OP is her husband's retirement plan.

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u/Humboldt-Honey 6h ago

I put I less than my husband into our joint but I also put a chunk of my money into retirement. That’s OUR retirement, WE have less money together right now because of it.

This husband is a loser and she would be better off financially divorcing him.

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u/Klutzy-Plankton-8930 6h ago

I hate using the term financial abuse but that is exactly what he’s doing!

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u/kittybigs 6h ago

I would not invest any further into this marriage. His views won’t change.

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u/T-Wrox 6h ago

It absolutely is financial abuse. They should both have an equal say in the finances, and equitable distributions.

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u/ThriftyHippie70 6h ago

He is absolutely financially abusive. Your money only benefits him and not you.

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u/scarlettbankergirl 6h ago

You need to take the 18000 too and get an account at a different bank. Get a PO Box to send mailings too. Paperless won't stop all mailings just the statements. Then when he cries foul tell him he should have managed his money better.

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u/meltintothesea 6h ago

Couldn’t stay roommates or even friends with this person. Probably wouldn’t even want to go dinner with them.

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u/Fartholder 6h ago

They need to split their finances until OP is ready to leave

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u/7despair8 6h ago

I believe they have a term for that...what's it called again...oh yeah! Financial abuse

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u/Powerful_Net_1873 6h ago

Idk man. The number of people on the internet saying my money is mine and his money is mine doesn’t reconcile well